changeup

A pitch in the arsenal of many baseball pitchers, a "change of pace" pitch. It's designed to wreck a batter's balance or timing - one throws it with the same mechanics as one's fastball, but with a different grip, resulting in less velocity and a non-fastball trajectory. Pitchers who rely on this are often cerebral in style, as opposed to the studly styles of those who can throw a ball 95 mph. Vital to the Atlanta Braves dynasty in the 90s, via Charlie Leibrandt, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux.